The European Solvents Industry Group (ESIG) held its 5th Stakeholder Day, and the main takeaway was crystal clear:
💡 Solvents are essential for the EU economy and when solvent value chains come under pressure, Europe feels it – fast and painful.
🏭 Europe’s chemical and solvent value chains are not an abstract policy topic but real. High energy costs, regulatory complexity and global competition are already shaping production decisions, investments, and availability.
Imports are already rising showing a loss of EU competitiveness.
✅What was striking: a regulatory signal at substance level can quickly trigger real effects across the value chain in Europe – from upstream production to downstream applications such as printing inks and supply security.
⚖️ That’s why we must get the regulatory balance right. Risk‑based regulation, realistic exposure assessment and regulatory predictability are not technical details. They are pre‑conditions for keeping critical chemical uses and production in Europe.
🫶 Thank you to all contributors and to the European Commission for an open and constructive exchange at the 5th ESIG stakeholder day.
This dialogue is essential – and it will continue!
With Ana Maria Blass Rico – PhD, Anna Tancorra, Alain D’haese. Karen Smet, Adrian Tristram, Cornelia TIETZ, Dr. Robert Oades, Luc Turkenburg, Norbert Hannig, Moncef Hadhri, Dunja Drmac
PROGRAMME – WATCH VIDEO RECORDING – SUMMARY to come